Chapter 374: That Was Not Me

Mist permeated the air.

Lin Xi, holding a paper umbrella, glided lightly along the road, hurrying towards Furong Bridge from memory.

"Static..." A faint crackle of static came from the walkie-talkie.

"Old Lu, Old Lu! Are you alright? What's the situation?"

Lin Xi calculated the time. Old Lu should be fighting Chen Ling by now; Lin Xi had fought Chen Ling before and knew how strong the guy was, making Old Lu a difficult match in a one-on-one fight. This realization made Lin Xi's heart grow increasingly anxious.

"Cough, cough, cough..." After a long silence, Old Lu's weak voice finally came through the walkie-talkie. "Damn it... His power is immense. One punch shattered my defense. If I couldn't fly for a short time, he probably would have killed me with that single blow."

This result was more or less what Lin Xi had expected. He immediately asked, "Where is he now?"

"He's still nearby. He saw I was alone and is trying to hunt me down!" Old Lu's voice dropped slightly. "I'm hiding under Furong Bridge now. Hurry over!"

"Wait for me! I'll be right there!" Lin Xi then asked, "What about Maple Ghost? Where is he now?"

"I'm on my way, but I'm a bit far from Furong Bridge, so I might be a little late." A moment later, Maple Ghost's voice came through.

"Alright."

Lin Xi knew he couldn't rely on Maple Ghost for a while. The worst-case scenario was facing Chen Ling alone with a heavily injured Old Lu. Even two against one, Lin Xi wasn't confident they could defeat Chen Ling. "I have to get to Old Lu as fast as possible, then make more preparations to gain an advantage in a 'home field' battle against that guy," Lin Xi thought to himself.

Moving at full speed, Lin Xi arrived at Furong Bridge in just over a minute. As he neared Furong Bridge, Lin Xi's movements noticeably softened. He vigilantly scanned his surroundings, fearing Chen Ling might burst out at any moment. Fortunately, the area was quiet; not only was Chen Ling absent, but he didn't even see a single bird.

Lin Xi, holding his umbrella, leaped from the edge of the bridge, landing lightly beneath the arch. His gaze swept over the area, and he spotted Old Lu, dishevelled and leaning against the wall.

"Old Lu, how are you?" Lin Xi immediately went forward to check on his condition.

"...I won't die," Old Lu said, his hand clutching his caved-in chest, his face extremely pale. "But it's only a matter of time before he finds me... My combat ability is limited right now, Lin Xi. Do you think we can do this?"

Lin Xi's expression was grim. He glanced towards the outside of the bridge arch and nodded slightly. "As long as I have enough time to prepare, even if we can't defeat him, we can at least hold him off until Maple Ghost arrives. Then, with three against one, our chances of winning will greatly increase."

A hint of joy appeared on Old Lu's face. "That's good. Start preparing quickly. I'll rest a bit more..."

Lin Xi, with his paper umbrella on his back, paced back and forth under the bridge arch, seemingly observing the terrain. A moment later, his gaze fixed on the underside of Furong Bridge above. A glint appeared in his eyes as he took the paper umbrella from his back. With a gentle shake, he replicated a dozen blank paper umbrellas, and simultaneously, different patterns began to be drawn on their surfaces.

Lin Xi held the newly drawn umbrellas. With a light swipe of his finger on their surfaces, the patterns were covered by a layer of grey-white. He waved them upwards, and the umbrellas hung upside down, one by one, from the bridge's underside, seemingly blending completely with their surroundings, indiscernible to the naked eye.

Old Lu, sitting by the wall, asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Doesn't that guy like setting traps? This time, I'll let him taste his own medicine," Lin Xi said in a deep voice. "These umbrellas are hidden above us. Each one has a different effect. If we can lure him here, even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely battered."

"Oh." Old Lu nodded. "Impressive."

"However, once these are activated, they can easily cause collateral damage. You need to remember the positions of these umbrellas, otherwise, you could be affected," Lin Xi kindly reminded him.

Old Lu's eyes focused intently on each of the concealed paper umbrellas, and he nodded firmly. "No problem, I'll remember them... every single one."

***

Meanwhile, Old Lu's figure moved swiftly along the bluestone path, one hand holding the walkie-talkie as he spoke in a deep voice. "Maple Ghost, I'm almost at Furong Bridge. Where are you?"

"Static..." After a brief crackle of static, Maple Ghost's voice came from the walkie-talkie. "Old Lu? Old Lu! Is that really you?"

Old Lu was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I should have realized... I just ran into you!"

"You ran into me?"

"Yes, I turned a corner and saw you coming this way. I went to talk to you, but it was that lunatic disguised using his Playwright ability!" Maple Ghost's voice was tinged with anger. "He ambushed me and I almost died, but fortunately, the terrain here is complicated, and I managed to escape by turning into maple leaves..."

Old Lu's face immediately turned grim. "I almost forgot... that guy can impersonate us!"

"But even if he can disguise his appearance, he can't fake the walkie-talkie. As long as we keep in constant contact, we can distinguish the impostor," Maple Ghost said weakly.

"You're right. Where are you? I'll come find you now!"

"The alley east of Furong Bridge."

"Alright, I'm coming."

Old Lu oriented himself and headed straight for the alley Maple Ghost mentioned.

"After you enter the alley, turn right. There's a path that looks quite worn. Follow it straight ahead..." Maple Ghost's voice from the walkie-talkie continued to guide Old Lu.

Old Lu followed the instructions precisely. After walking for about half a minute, he saw a figure approaching him in the distance. At the end of the narrow path, a Maple Ghost figure had a walkie-talkie clipped to his waist. As he walked, he frowned and looked around, seemingly searching intently for something.

"Once you see a locked warehouse, climb through the window. I'm hiding in there," Maple Ghost's voice came through the walkie-talkie again, perfectly timed.

Old Lu suddenly stopped.

"Old Lu?" The Maple Ghost figure approaching from a distance seemed confused when he saw Old Lu. "What are you doing here?"

Old Lu's gaze swept up and down the figure before him. Not only was he uninjured, there wasn't even a trace of having fought, and his clothes were still spotless. Most crucially, he wasn't using a walkie-talkie to communicate with him.

Old Lu's heart leaped into his throat. He quietly hid the walkie-talkie behind his back and pressed the button. "I saw another you on the way," he said in a low voice.

The Maple Ghost figure in the distance walked straight towards him.

"Old Lu?" The Maple Ghost figure frowned instinctively when he saw Old Lu frozen in place.

Just as the distance between them continued to close, Maple Ghost's anxious voice suddenly blared from Old Lu's walkie-talkie:

"Old Lu, watch out! That's not me!!"

A flash of killing intent gleamed in Old Lu's eyes, and he unhesitatingly launched an attack on the Maple Ghost figure in front of him!